Scotland roadtrip - part 3

After leaving Oban, Laura and Nicholas James continued on the Argyll Coastal route to see a Castle on an island. Castle Stalker featured as The Castle Aaaaarrrrrrgghhh at the very end of the film Monty Python and the Holy Grail. It was necessary to walk down the hill from the Castle Stalker View cafe through a small wood see see the Castle more closely.

Castle Stalker View information board

Laura and Nicholas James could see Castle Stalker from a nearby field

Laura and Nicholas James wished they could cross to the castle, but it was surrounded by water and is private

While looking across at the Castle from a higher viewpoint near the cafe, Laura and Nicholas James were fascinated to see a pair of horse riders on the island.

Two horse riders on Castle Stalker island

Horses and riders left Castle Stalker island at low tide

The horses and riders wading at low tide from Castle Stalker island

Laura and Nicholas James continued on the Argyll Coastal route along Loch Linnhe to where Loch Leven joined it. Here they explored the stony beach of Loch Leven beside the Ballachulish Hotel near the road bridge over Loch Leven, Argyll (to avoid confusion, there are two Loch Leven's in Scotland - one in Kinross north of Edinburgh and one in Argyll). 

It was late afternoon, the rain had stopped and the clouds were lifting off the mountains.

Nicholas James and Laura looking west on Ballachulish beach

Laura and Nicholas James with the Loch Leven road bridge and the mountains of Glencoe behind them

Laura and Nicholas James with the Loch Leven road bridge behind them

"Look at that view" said Laura.
"Isn't it beautiful" replied Nicholas James

"I like how the mountains reflect in the loch in the evening light" said Laura

On their way back to the hotel, Laura and Nicholas James encountered a character sitting on the stone wall beside the hotel. 

Sheep or Donkey character on the wall beside the Ballachulish hotel with the mountains in the background

Sheep or Donkey character seemed quite cheerful sitting on his wall even though he was soggy from the rain

The Ballachulish hotel was lovely and comfortable with delicious food for dinner and breakfast (the most expensive night of the whole trip but definitely worth it). 

The following morning, after loading the car again, Nicholas James and Laura went to the Glencoe Folk Museum, which was in 19th century stone cottages thatched with heather in the heart of the village where once the fateful Glencoe massacre took place in February 1692. The museum told the story of the Glencoe massacre as well as many other stories of the local area because it contained all sorts of local items, some them going back to prehistoric times.

Poignant diorama of the Glencoe massacre

There were some lovely vintage toys on display in the museum.

Selection of toys including a vintage Noah's Ark

A carved Romany wagon toy

A miniature shop, the Romany wagon and a Sindy horse

In another display cabinet there were artifacts from spinning, weaving and knitting.

early knitting machine

spinning, weaving and knitting display

Spinning wheels displayed under the rafters

Embroidered greetings cards from the First World War period

Nicholas James and Laura found a wooden cradle for a Highland baby

Nicholas James and Laura with the wooden cradle and spinning wheel in the Glencoe Folk Museum

Probably the most mysterious artifact on display was a copy of the Ballachulish Goddess which had been found in peat bog in 1880. The original Ballachulish figure, which is thought to be about 2,000 years old, is kept in the National Museum of Scotland.

Replica of the Ballachulish Goddess

Laura and Nicholas James discovered that in such a mountainous northern region, methods of getting about in the snow which are used now for sport had a very practical purpose, and there was a display cabinet with vintage wooden skis and poles which reminded them of the early production Gotz Sasha skis.

Vintage wooden skis in the Glencoe Folk Museum

On top of some of the display cabinets were some rather wonderful miniature figures in Highland and period costumes.

Highland man in his tartan

Two Highland women, one in working clothes, the other dressed in a ballgown

Bagpiper and lady in her tartan ballgown

There was a beautiful embroidered dress in a cabinet - it was the 1740s Spitalfields dress which featured in the online Highland Threads exhibition.

Embroidered 1740s Spitalfields dress

After leaving the museum, Laura and Nicholas James explored Glencoe and Loch Leven by car, this involved driving up into the Glencoe valley then retracing the route to Glencoe village to drive along the south of Loch Leven to Kinlochleven at the end of the loch, then along the north side of the loch to view Glencoe from the distance. So they never crossed the road bridge across Loch Leven!

Distant view of Glencoe valley and the village from the north side of Loch Leven

Closer view of Glencoe from across the loch

A glimpse of the road from Kinlochleven on the left, with Loch Leven and Glencoe

The road trip continued even further into the Highlands as Nicholas James and Laura travelled along the west side of Loch Linnhe to Fort William.